August 2009

We've been collecting coverage of this past weekend's BlizzCon 2009 from around the Web, and have compiled a small fraction of it here for you to catch up on anything you may have missed, or just read more about your favorites. Whether you're interested in hands-on write-ups of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, detailed information about Diablo III’s monk class, news from StarCraft II’s panels, a peek into the future of Battle.net, scads of pictures from the costume contest, or anything else that emerged from BlizzCon, take a look at the links below.

You can now check out all the images of BlizzCon attendees taken throughout the weekend at the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, StarCraft II, and Diablo III themed photo booths. Head over to the BlizzCon website, browse the pictures, and download your favorites now.

Aug 22, 2009
BlizzCon 2009 Comes to a Close

BlizzCon 2009 has officially come to an end! Ozzy Osbourne's thunderous performance brought down the roof of the Anaheim Convention Center; Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain escaped through the hole in their stetched zeppelin and headed to their next gig in Orgrimmar; and at least half of the audience members survived.

We'd like to thank everyone who helped to make this year's show a success, including comedian Jay Mohr, who hosted the contests on Friday evening, Ozzy Osbourne, and all of our partners and sponsors, including ASUS, DIRECTV, Intel, Mountain Dew, NVIDIA, and Razer. Most of all, we'd like to thank the community of gamers – without your dedication and support, BlizzCon wouldn't be possible.

The fourth BlizzCon is underway, and we'll be giving players a look at the new game features and upcoming developments discussed in some of the World of Warcraft, Diablo III, and StarCraft II panels throughout the show. We'll be updating www.blizzcon.com with new information from the panels regularly, so be sure to check back often.

StarCraft II Battle.net Discussion – At the StarCraft II Battle.net developer panel on Friday afternoon, we gave players a first look at some of the cool new community and communication features that will be coming with the relaunched Battle.net online-gaming service, along with info on how it'll all be integrated with StarCraft II. Check out new details about Battle.net's state-of-the-art matchmaking system, achievement system, social networking features, and more in our new Battle.net FAQ

Diablo III Heroes & Monsters – Take a closer look at the latest Diablo III class, the monk, as well as other characters and creatures from the game.

Aug 22, 2009
BlizzCon 2009: Day Two Begins

The second day of the BlizzCon gaming convention is now underway! Yesterday, we unveiled World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, Diablo III's new monk class, and discussed some of the new features of the updated Battle.net. Today's main events include the finals for this year's Warcraft III, StarCraft, and World of Warcraft Arena tournaments; more developer panels, including the World of Warcraft Game Systems, Diablo III Art, and StarCraft II Lore panels; and the epic closing concert featuring Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain and Ozzy Osbourne. Keep your eye on www.BlizzCon.com throughout the day for updates -- and don't forget that you can follow us on Twitter via @Warcraft, @StarCraft, and @Diablo.

Aug 21, 2009
Official World of Warcraft Magazine Announced

World of Warcraft is now coming soon to a mailbox near you! Each issue of the just-announced World of Warcraft: The Magazine will feature 148 pages of entertaining and insightful content about the game, including in-depth interviews, expert analysis, and player points of view. One year subscriptions are available for $39.95 USD, 34.95 Euros, or 29.95 Pounds. Check out the official announcement for more information, or head over to the subscription page to place an order.

Aug 21, 2009
BlizzCon: Day One Recap

The first day of BlizzCon 2009 is winding down! We've had a blast meeting fellow gamers from around the world, and we hope you've enjoyed following along with the announcements, events, and tournaments. Here are just a few highlights of the day:

During the opening ceremony, thousands of players gathered round for a first-ever look at the new World of Warcraft expansion, Cataclysm. Once they learned the details of Azeroth's impending disaster, players got to try out the worgen and goblin starting areas for themselves on the show floor.

Attendees met Diablo III's fourth playable class, the monk, in a brutal and bloody introductory movie played during the opening ceremony. At the conclusion, players flocked to the show floor to try their hand at taking on the hordes of Hell as the holy martial artist.

Flanked by giant tournament screens in Hall A and Hall B of the Anaheim Convention Center, pro gamers wowed the crowd with their playing prowess on the first day of the StarCraft, Warcraft III, and World of Warcraft Arena tournaments. You can check out the results of day one on the tournament brackets page.

BlizzCon showgoers got to learn new details about all three Blizzard game universes at developer panels throughout the show. Check out some of the highlights from these panels.

At the Battle.net panel, Blizzard Executive Vice President of Game Design Rob Pardo revealed tons of new details about the reenvisioned and redesigned Battle.net, launching with the upcoming StarCraft II.

The evening wrapped up with style and silliness as Jay Mohr hosted the costume, dance, and sound-alike contests. Attendees imitating Kel'Thuzads, Mistresses of Pain, Sartharions, Raynors, and even meeting stones took the stage at this year's show -- look for photos and a list of all the winners soon!

These were just a few quick snapshots of day one at BlizzCon. Thanks to everyone here sharing their passion for games with us, and we'll be back tomorrow with more news, photos, and coverage from the show.

Aug 21, 2009
BlizzCon Tournaments Live Stream Now Available

Ready to watch some live BlizzCon tournament action from the comfort of your own home? Right now and throughout the rest of BlizzCon, you can see top players from around the world compete in your favorite Blizzard Entertainment games. The streaming video feed from the World of Warcraft tournament stage features the coordinated team play and excitement of the World of Warcraft Arena. The RTS tournament stage stream showcases the meticulous hero management of the Warcraft III global finals and the fast-paced battles of the StarCraft Invitational. The tournament matches are now live!

Aug 21, 2009
Diablo III Monk Class Revealed

During the opening ceremony of BlizzCon 2009, we revealed Diablo III's fourth playable class: the monk, a skilled holy warrior of unparalleled dexterity. Armed with speed, holy fervor, and the drive to achieve physical and spiritual perfection, the monk becomes a deadly apparition in the heat of battle, moving faster than the eye can follow to strike down enemies with a barrage of lightning-fast blows.